Rivalry
by Jade Nova
Summary: Were creatures control the streets of Tokyo, the strongest among them the wolves and panthers. Can love survive the biter rivalry? Chapter 2 uploaded 2-5-02
1. Prologue/Teaser

Rivalry

Disclaimer: I've been forgetting to put these on my fics a lot lately. *blushes* I don't mean to though! I just figure that it's common knowledge! I don't own any anime. Unless my sister and I ever actually get around to making one of our own that is.

Fushigi Yuugi and Sailor Moon do not belong to me! I wish they did, but they belong to wonderful manga-ka in Japan and huge corps there and here.

Additional: This is (or rather was, I'm defiantly continuing this) a teaser. Characters HAVE changed! For those of you who were looking forward to a Tamahome/Usa fic, GOMEN! I misread my very old notes for this story when I worked on this part, and I forgot I changed Tamahome's part in the story. I decided I liked Tama and Miaka as a couple too much. Again, Gomen.

She was a bouquet of flowers. Her hair was jasmine, the sunlit strands as fragrant as the real thing. Timid violet covered her skin like a sheer sheet. Rose petals replaced her lips and hands, both in scent and touch. Or so I guessed. I was in truth far from her; only her appearance and the scent of her led me to think this way.

Her eyes met mine. I could feel my heart begin to beat like a frenzied drum. She felt the same thing as I, her gaze told me. Complete strangers, entranced with each other.

"Nuriko-kun!" I heard my name, shouted. I did not reply, my eyes still locked with the tenshi in front of me. Her rose petal lips formed my name, a gentle smile following close behind.

"Nuriko." Not shouted, but almost whispered, my name spoken so closely that a strand of hair blew across my cheek from the breath used in saying the simple word.  I turned my head to the side; eyes formerly caught with hers met those of one of my dearest friends. "Forget it. She's panther," Tasuki whispered, turning and glaring at the tenshi.

I turned back. I could smell it now. In fact, I don't know how I missed it before. Below the scent of her soap and shampoo, below the even more wonderful scent of her own, pale skin, the feline scent lingered.

"Nuri-chan?" Miaka's voice broke through to me. My little sister placed her hand on my shoulder. "Lets go now."

My eyes were still on the tenshi. How could such a beautiful creature be a panther?

Two blondes, a tall man and a near twin to my bouquet emerged from the crowd and joined her. The man glared at me, his eyes burning with warning. The girl spoke to the object of my desire. Keen ears picked up her whispered words despite our distance.

"Usagi, don't look at them. They're wolves." Her bright, cheerful eyes became clouded at the words. Even as I tried the name on my own lips just as she had done moments ago, the beautiful flowered angel turned away.

That's it for now. Remember, if you don't like something, e-mail me or leave a review.

~Jade Nova

moon_archer82@lunap.com


	2. The Hunter Attacks

Disclaimer: Sailor Moon and Fushigi Yuugi do NOT belong to me. I am a struggling student, saving up for anime conventions and trying to pay bills at the same time.        

Much like New York and LA, Tokyo was now home to many of the dark folk. But it was not the bloodsuckers or recently deceased that ruled the city like the two American metropolises. Tokyo, Japan belonged to people of the full moon.

And like their full-blooded counterparts in the wild, many didn't get along with each other.

"Hakura, you know I can take care of myself. Will you PLEASE back off?!" Usagi glared at her self-designated protector as they made their way back home.

"Koneko, you know the danger the wolves are to us. What if that had been Nakago? And what if Minako and I hadn't been there? You know what would have happened."  
            Usagi knew Hakura was right. Violence between the rival were packs was a constant threat. But that was before the recent attacks on people of magic. Usagi felt the wolf leader had better things to do then worry about a lone panther. Something told her not to say that aloud to Hakura though.

"Oh, but he was a bishie, wasn't he Usagi?" Minako's cheerful voice brought Usa from her dark mood, making her laugh.

"Hai! And the way he was looking at me just made me want to melt!"

"It was probably hunger," Hakura growled softly. The pack leader walked into the home the panthers shared in a rather posh part of Tokyo, the two younger were cats following behind.

"We're back!" Usagi called out in the quiet front hall.

"Okari," a halfhearted shout came from the tv room. Voices muffled through the walls told them someone was watching television. Mina shrugged and headed up to her room. Hakura grabbed the keys from the key hook by the door and started to head out again.

"Hakura, where are you going?" Usagi asked.

"I'm going to see Michiru."

"You said we shouldn't be out alone though," the younger girl reminded her pride leader.

"She's right, Hakura. Besides, there's been another attack."  They both turned in surprise to see Mamoru leaning against the doorframe.

"What do you mean, there's been another attack?! Why haven't I heard about it?!" Hakura shouted as she ran into the tv room where the news was on.

"Mamoru."

"Usagi." The two watched each other for several moments before any move was made.

"I thought I told you I didn't want to see you around here anymore."

"Hey, I'm here for Motoki, not you. Why don't you just back down." His black hair fell over his eyes as they flashed warningly.

"Don't try your little tricks on me, mosquito," the young cat growled back, her own cat-slit eyes narrowing. "I learned my lesson last time you tried to get me to give a blood donation. I thought Motoki knew better then to hang out with your filthy type."

"Don't call me filthy, pussy cat. I saw your litter box," he mocked, his smirk revealing his fangs. "You should clean that thing more often.

"Go rob a blood bank," she growled as she pushed past him. His implication that she was dirty in any way enraged her to a point where she couldn't think of a comeback. The pathetic burn did little more then make him laugh as she walked into the tv room.

"Is he being a mosquito again?" Suboshi asked from his spot stretched out on the couch. He grinned as he used Usagi's nickname for the vampire.

"Of course. Has been ever since we broke up." She managed to calm herself down as she sat on his legs and watched the news.

"Do you mind?" Suboshi asked as he tried to get comfortable under her.

"Well if you didn't take up the entire couch..."

"Who's the one who just got released from the hospital?"

"I thought you didn't want our sympathy," she replied, her lips curved in a smirk. Her conversation with Mamoru was already gone from her mind.

"Well I do when you sit on me. My poor injured legs!"

"Shut up. Your legs are fine, and we all know it. Besides, a panther who completely missed a chance to find out who's behind the attacks doesn't deserve to relax in comfort. Now what happened?" she asked as she shifted so her butt bone wasn't digging into Suboshi's shin.

The television had already shifted to other news, but the crowd in the living room proved they hoped to hear more.

"It wasn't one of us, or them unfortunately," he replied. His eyes were glued to the set as the news continued. "Fey I think. Her name was Mizuno Ami. The police won't admit its part of the pattern yet, but it sounds a lot like what happened to me."

"Ami. Ami." Usagi thought for a moment before her eyes suddenly lit up like feary lights. "She's in one of my classes! What happened?!"

"Like I said, they don't know. She had in town with some friends but never made it home. Someone saw her on the side of the road about an hour after she left her friends and took her to the hospital."

"So she's alright?"

"If you really want to know, you'd probably get more out of the hospital. That's all that was said." Usagi watched the television sadly for several minutes more. As the news shifted to sports, she stood and walked out.

((At this point, I would like to remind my readers that this story does not circle around Tamahome and Usagi. Nuriko has replaced Tamahome.))

The white sheets in the hospital bed did little to decrease the paleness of its occupant's skin. The tubes and monitors hooked up to her arms and chest reminded Miaka of victims of the arachna parasite, the child spider bursting its legs out through the host's skin. The thought almost made the young wolf sick.

"Miaka, she'll be fine. We have to go home."

"But it's my fault!! She said she'd be fine, so I let her walk home all alone. Oh, I should have just gone with her!" Tears fell from the young panther's eyes as she looked at her elfin friend. She felt her older brother's hand fall on her shoulder but ignored it. Ami's skin was so pale; she had lost so much blood.

"They have specialists here. She'll be fine. I'm sure she'll be up and frolicking in the trees again in no time, or whatever elves do."

"She's water fey, baka," Miaka grumbled over her shoulder. "The least you could do is keep your mouth shut when you don't know what you're talking about."

"I can't keep up with all your friends," he replied, shrugging and walking out the door. "We need to get home before too late though, so hurry." Nuriko walked out of the room. He did feel bad for Ami; they had only left her a few hours ago, well and happy.

He felt eyes on him and turned to see Hotohori walk up. His long hair was tied back in a loose ponytail. His coat reached down to his knees and swished around his legs as he walked. For a brief moment, Nuriko forgot about the incident with the panthers. The beautiful vampire drew the eyes of all he walked by, his dark, dangerous looks emanating sexuality. He was everything young men and women imagined being when they gave up the life of the living, yet few truly reached.

"I heard about your sister's friend," he said smoothly. He looked into the hospital room and frowned. "If this continues much longer, no one in the city will be safe."

"You're thinking the same thing?" Nuriko asked as he followed the vampire's eyes. Hotohori's words brought the werewolf back to the present, to the danger and reality of the threat that had suddenly appeared only days ago.

"The police won't admit it, but there is defiantly a rouge hunter loose. We have been keeping our eyes open for anything suspicious, but he has evaded even our searches." Nuriko frowned at that. With the strongest vampire trio in Tokyo after him, the hunter should have been flushed into the open by now.

"Are you sure it's a rouge?"

"I can't think of anything else that would suddenly strike down so many. So far, humans are the only ones unaffected."

"Typical," Nuriko sighed. He brushed his own long hair back over his shoulder. His amber eyes closed in exhaustion. Between the worry caused by his sister's friend and Tasuki's anger over the incident with the panthers, the day had been about twenty-four hours too long. "Have you spoken to the other clans?"

"Yuuki Miaka has agreed to speak with the rest of the elfin families. She grew up with Mizuno and seems very worried. Mamoru, Tamahome, and I are taking care of the were packs obviously. And Michiru, Ami's sister is going to speak with the covens. They may be pure-blooded humans, but the last time a rogue popped up, they weren't spared."

"What are you planning?"

"Since we can't find him on our own, we need help. And for that, we need to band together."

"There has never been a successful cooperation between so many different people. This may just make things worse then before," Nuriko reminded the vampire commander.

"We have reason to make this work. This rouge is hunting faster then any before in history. If we don't stop him, none of us may escape alive."

Well, that's it for another chapter. Some of you may have noticed the change in characters. If you're thinking "Jade! What are you doing?! I thought Tamahome was a wolf!" then you need to read my author's notes more often!

Anyway, sorry for the abrupt change in characters. I started working on this story months ago, with half of the teaser/prologue on my computer. Originally it was going to be Tamahome, but I changed it later on in my notes. And if you haven't already guessed, my notes are like a rat's nest to work through.

Read, review, write!

~Jade Nova

moon_archer82@lunap.com


	3. A Witch Death

Rivalry, chapter 2

Hello again! Just a few pre-writing notes.

Girl-chama: Yes I did mean rogue! *laughs* I can't spell. Thanks! (Watch me misspell it again in this chapter. *sweatdrop*) 

Tenshi no Nozomi: To tell the truth, I was originally thinking of an animefied, supernatural version of Romeo and Juliet when I started working on it. It just adapted from there. *grins*

Thank you everyone for reviewing!! The enthusiastic response for this fic has encouraged me to start on the next chapter as soon as possible.

Fushigi Yuugi and Sailor Moon do not belong to me. Don't sue!

Tomoe Hotoru eyed the distance between the bus stop and her home. She wished now she'd asked one of her friends to walk with her, but it was too late. Her mother was expecting her home and nothing would really happen. It always happened to someone else.

"Someone else always thinks it'll happen to someone else though," she muttered under her breath as she started towards home. Just three blocks away. A bat flew overhead, the high-pitched squeak hardly noticeable to her sensitive ears. The leathery wings beat against the air as the tiny rodent dove for an insect. The moon overhead was waning, not quite gone yet, and the night was alive with sounds.

A car drove in the opposite direction from where she was walking. The reminder that there were still people around reassured her, and she was now less then a block from her house.

As she walked up the path, a breath of relief escaped her lips. The tension among her family and friends had finally reached her, and she was constantly jumping at shadows, but now she was home again. The last few feet to her door grew less and less. Before she was even inside, the sense of security the lit windows and her parents' cars in the driveway emanated destroyed all fear she had felt just moments before.

"Tidiama!" she called out as she pushed open the door. The faucet in the kitchen was running, likely her father making dinner. She ran up the steps to her room and tossed her book bag on her bed, then headed back downstairs.

"What's for dinner, tousan?" she asked as she went into the kitchen. The faucet was still running, but he was not there. Frowning, Hotoru walked around the island counter to the sink and turned the water off. 

"Where…" she started, but never finished. She turned again to check the rest of the house, and her foot slipped on the floor. "Nani?" She looked down, her heart beginning to beat rapidly as her fear from earlier returned.

The floor was painted red.

"So far, no one has died. I don't think this rogue is capable of murder. Likely some kid who grew up too religious."

"So you want to wait until Michiru dies?" Mamoru asked. The cold glare the panther leader sent him told the vampire he'd gone too far.

"Hakura, the elf girl is still in a coma. Karou of the bear clan is still bed-ridden. It has been only a couple of weeks, and this one has already hit so many." 

"Suboshi is almost better though. And I am still not convinced this rogue even has the ability to kill."

"So it's going to take a death to convince you?" Mamoru asked impatiently. Hakura never got a chance to respond when the door opened. Tomo walked in.

"Tomo, whatever it is, it can wait. We are having a meeting," Hakura growled toward the intruder.

"You might want to hear about this, Hakura," he replied. "Hotoru got home from school today and…. Well, she's fine, but her parents are not. It seems the rogue decided to get a few witches on his resume. Her mother is in critical condition and her father is gone."

"Seems you got what you wanted," Mamoru said softly.

The living room was silent as the news played. Usagi watched the flashing police lights from her chair as Tomo walked back into the living room and sat down next to Mina.

"How'd she take it?" one of the other occupants of the room asked.

"Not well, as far as I could see. I left as soon as she started growling at Mamoru." He closed his eyes and leaned back against the couch, his usual behavior gone with the stress of recent days.

"Usagi, where is Amiboshi?" Hakura's voice interrupted as she walked through the door.

"I think he and Suboshi went to get a drink at the convenience store."

"We got back a while ago," the younger twin said as he came in behind Hakura. His eyes were narrowed in worry. "He isn't in his room, or anywhere else that I can see."

"Why would he have gone out alone?" Minako asked.

"That isn't the question right now. The question is where is he? Suboshi, take Usagi and Mamoru and see if you can find him. Look everywhere he might be, and don't come back unless you find him." The stony look she gave the young blond prevented any objection of the vampire's company from surfacing. "As for the rest of you, for now we have a double threat on the streets. We have no actual agreement of cooperation with the wolves yet, and this hunter is becoming more active as time passes. On top of that, a few of the younger coven members may find it wrong that they suffered the first fatality instead of one of us. I don't expect it to be much trouble, but there are idiots out there after all. If you MUST go out, make sure I know where you are going, and whom you are with. No one can leave this house without at least two companions. When you are outside, do not drop your guard for even a moment. From this point on, consider yourself under martial law." With that, the panther leader stormed out of the room.

"No."

"Nakago-san," Hotohori said with forced civility. He had to restrain himself from baring his fangs at the wolf sitting across from him. "Please reconsider. We are all in danger, even yourself. If this hunter was able to bring down a bear, a wolf will be no problem. You cannot watch your pack all the time."

"I'm afraid you didn't hear me, Hotohori. I said no." Nakago stood from the table. "The only way I will consider joining your alliance is if the panthers are excluded. I will never work with Hakura and her filthy felines."

The wolf leader turned his back on the vampire and walked out, leaving the door open behind him. Hotohori sighed and laid his head on the table. He knew Nakago wouldn't be an easy one to convince, and he pitied Mamoru for having to speak with Hakura. She was just as stubborn, and would not hold back if her anger took a hold of her. Yet she was a capable leader, a woman who brought together many of a solitary type for security. He hoped she would see the sense in joining together. Her opposite Nakago was also a leader with skills. He controlled the largest wolf pack in Tokyo, yet didn't rely on them to settle his own scores. But he knew when he needed his pack to attack, and Hotohori hoped he would realize this was one of those times.

The vampire stood from his seat and walked out into the hallway, his hand rubbing his forehead to relieve the headache building there, only to have Miaka run right into his chest.

"OH! Gomen Hotohori-kun. I didn't see you there," she said as she backed away slightly. She smiled up at him and the ancient vampire felt his worries slip away for a moment. 

"Its alright Miaka.

"Nurkio-neesan told me you were talking with Nakago," she said suddenly, her smile slipping. "About the rogue. You want us to team up with the panthers?!" Her shocked eyes told him everything she thought about the idea.

"Don't worry Miaka. I don't think Nakago is going to allow it anyway."

"Honto?" she said, faintly relieved. "But I guess we do need to do something, right? Ami is in the hospital because of the hunter, and now the warlock Tomoe has been killed." Hotohori's eyes rose to hers.

"What happened?!" he asked, alarmed.

"He broke into a coven home," she replied sadly. "The daughter came home to find both her parents had been attacked. Her mother is in a coma, like Ami, but her father had lost too much blood. He was doa."

"When did this happen?"

"It was on the news about ten min…" she was interrupted as Tasuki ran up the stairs.

"Where's Rei?!" he shouted at them, his eyes panicked.

"Nani?" Miaka asked, confused. "Isn't she downstairs?"

"Iie! She's gone! She wouldn't have left the house alone, I told her not too! Shimmatta!" The fiery haired wolf started running down the hallway, bursting through every door as he shouted his sister's name.

"Tasuki! In Stubbe's name (1), what the hell is going on?!?!" Ashitare shouted out from his room as the door was flung open. He stormed out, glaring at Tasuki.

"My sister is gone. She isn't anywhere in the house, and everyone else is here. She would have told SOMEONE if she left, she isn't that irresponsible!"

"Just because she's alone out there doesn't mean she's in danger, Tasuki," Nuriko said calmly as he walked up to his friend. By now, the entire household minus one leader had assembled in the hallway to see what the panic was about. "We'll just go out and look for her, alright? We can all split up and look."

"Iie." The simple objection caused the entire household to look up. Nakago had finally shown up at the top of the stairs. He glared at Nuriko for his suggestion. "Now that someone has been killed, no one will leave the house with fewer then two people. I am only allowing one group to leave this house though. The rest of us will stay here. Tasuki, take Nuriko and Hotohori to look for your imouto. Once you find her, return here. Hotohori," Nuriko said, turning to the vampire. "Do not expect the panthers and us to physically work together. As long as you promise as little contact as possible, we will join your alliance."

This was mostly a build-up chapter to what will happen next. Hope it wasn't too boring!

I know, Ashitare talking like a normal person is quite OOC. But I figured he's a werewolf in this story, so he's probably like a normal person most of the time. Plus I needed another wolf.

1-(Yah, just one note.) According to a site I read about werewolves, Stubbe was one of the first. He admitted to practicing dark magic when he was caught and changed from wolf to human in front of the villagers' eyes.

Read, review, write

~Jade Nova

moon_archer82@lunap.com


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